Today is Thanksgiving Day and Sweetie and I are spending our first Thanksgiving alone. YD and her little one could have come over, but they were invited to go with friends and we encouraged them to accept the invitation. We were just visiting with my parents and assorted other relatives a couple of weeks ago, for the 68th anniversary celebration, and we are going back there mid-December, so we had no desire to go there for this special day. Instead we elected to stay home and enjoy each other's company.


We had a special breakfast -- REAL BACON! Sweetie had real eggs but I stuck with my Egg Beaters since I was splurging on the bacon. It was nice to get to share breakfast. Normally he goes off to work before I get out of bed and I eat alone.


After breakfast he went out to continue working on the fence restoration (because of Ike) and I made pumpkin pies. I made one regular one, and one with cheesecake in it. For several years we could purchase pumpkin pies made with a swirl of cheesecake in them. Those are no longer available so I decided to see what I could "invent." We haven't eaten them yet but I did taste and I think I'm going to like the results.

The fence repair went well and was finished, and the new gate hung, around 1 pm. Sweetie came in and took a shower and sat down to rest a bit. I was back in the kitchen preparing our special dinner. With just the two of us we elected to skip the big turkey dinner. Actually, we eat turkey about once a month, along with oven baked sweet potatoes. That is what we had last night. Today we had ribeye steaks -- they were really delicious! Sweetie had garlic flavored rice with his, and a green salad. I had green beans cooked with potatoes. Both of us had our usual vegetable medely that we have with steak -- bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms sauted and served over the steak. Oh, the meal was so good! We haven't had a good steak in a while, trying to stay on the chicken/fish regime that is supposed to be healthier, so we relished the taste of red meat! Although I do love vegetables, I could not be a vegetarian -- I do love meat!

Throughout the day I've been thinking about the things I'm thankful for.

First of all -- always -- I am thankful for salvation! That our God could love us so much that he sent his only Son to earth to die for our sins is just an awesome thing. It is always first on my list of things to be thankful for.

Second, I'm thankful for my husband. Another gift from God! We've been married 34 1/2 years and I am thankful for him every day. Now, some days I may have to strain a little to be thankful because he's not perfect and sometimes he rubs me the wrong way, but he still make my life delightful and I do appreciate him.

Third, I'm thankful for my children. I gave birth to one, the Lord allowed me to adopt two more, and then Sweetie provided the fourth and final child. They all have been a blessing to my life.

I'm also thankful for other members of my family. Seven grandchildren, parents, three brothers and three lovely sisters-in-law, various nieces, nephews, and cousins. Oh, yes, and my children-in-law. They, also, are a blessing because they make my children happy.

I'm thankful for health. I sometimes wish I was a little taller and a little slimmer but, basically, I enjoy good health and I am very thankful for that. Sweetie is also in good health. My parents have lived to their mid 80's and while their health is not without challenges, they still live alone and enjoy their life together.

I am thankful for the gift of sight -- for hearing -- for my voice -- for the sense of smell and taste and touch. How different my life would be without those things!

I am thankful that I live in this great nation! We are preparing for a change in leadership so there is some uncertainty in the future but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

I am thankful for friends. God has blessed us with many good friends and I enjoy their company.

I am thankful for my church -- I am glad every week when it is time to go to church. We are blessed with friends there, also.

I am thankful for the "things" that I have been blessed with. A beautiful home, good food, reliable transportation, a sewing machine or two, cameras, (Sweetie's motorcycle because it brings him so much pleasure) washing machines, vacuums, etc. Things that make my life easier and sometimes more rewarding.

I am thankful for the natural world around me -- for flowers and trees and grass -- for water in the form of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans -- for rain and mist and fog -- for sunlight -- for coolness and for warmth. I'm thankful for the creatures of this world. This morning, while I talked with my east coast brother, he described the scene out of his kitchen window. A buck, doe, and two fawns wandered into his yard. Squirrels and various brightly colored birds were feeding in the grass. Sounded marvelous! We get squirrels and birds but don't have deer where we live. Last night a skunk wandered down the meadow and left a calling card on the wind that came in my bedroom window. I know there are other small creatures that share the meadow, and I am happy to have them there.

So many things to be thankful for!! Almost too many to mention.

What are you thankful for? Drop me a comment and let me know what you are most appreciative of. I look forward to hearing from you!